Little baby Janyla Lenise Foye was sleeping soundly at around 2 p.m. Tuesday after being the first baby to enter Lenoir County on New Year’s day.
Her mother, Kimberly Foye, 34, was resting in a bed next to a small baby table where her newborn daughter lay.
“I really feel … I’m still in a dream and I haven’t woke up,” Foye said.
She was pleased her walking at about 11 p.m. Monday night on the Wellness Center’s track at Lenoir Memorial Hospital had done the trick — she went into labor at about 5:45 a.m. Tuesday.
Foye’s due date was Jan. 2. She had been walking during her entire pregnancy. But a couple of weeks prior to delivery, her doctor had told her to stop walking and get bed rest. But on Monday, she was given the go-ahead to walk again as she was dilated about 3 centimeters.
“Me and my two aunts had me walking around because they wanted me to have her when the ball dropped,” Foye said. “But that didn’t happen. So we went back home.”
Baby Janyla was born a mere 5 pounds, 7.5 ounces and 18 inches long with Gaffeny Jones, the baby’s godfather, watching.
“It was amazing to me,” he said, “because it was, like, my first experience.”
It wasn’t a first experience for Foye. She has 7-year-old Jahkeem Foye, who had seen his new sister earlier in the morning.
“He’s thrilled,” Foye said about her son. “He wanted to hold her.”
After she began labor, she was admitted to the hospital about 6 a.m. April Hardy was the charge nurse on duty.
“Everything went great,” Hardy said. “(Foye) was actually a good patient. Everything went smooth.”
The Kinston native had learned she would have a girl from an ultrasound performed when she was five months pregnant. She said she had wanted a boy, but that desire didn’t seem to matter anymore.
“She’s spoiled already and don’t even know it,” she said about Janyla. “I’m just going to be the best mother and tell her I love her.”
Foye is the daughter of Stephanie Foye of Kinston.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter at MargaretFishr.